Forever, at the Moment
by Jooh
Summary: A collection of Tokka drabbles and oneshots ranging in mood from sarcastic and humorous to sickeningly fluffy. Don't ask what's up with the name. I have no idea.
1. Vexed

I had this idea stuck in my head a few days ago. It was rather stubborn, refusing to leave. Eventually I was able to force it out and onto paper, which inevitably found its way to a computer. I'm actually rather happy with it, and considering I have random impulses to write fluffy Tokka fics, Imma post them from now on. Tell me what you think. 

* * *

**Vexed**

Being trapped in the earth, incapable of the slightest movement from his shoulders down, Sokka had quite some time to think about what had gotten him there. More specifically, _who_ had gotten him there.

Toph.

Until about two hours ago, Sokka had viewed the tomboyish twelve-year old as merely that. Of course, she was also his traveling companion, his friend, and sometimes his role model. He had always cared about her to some extent. But never like this. 

_This_, he speculated _is utterly insane_.

Sokka wasn't even certain that insanity would be a worthy diagnosis for the wave of emotion he had experienced that afternoon. One minute they had been hunting, just the two of them, in the woods by the Western Air Temple. The stealthy silence between them had only been broken periodically by insignificant sarcastic remarks on Sokka's part, followed by casual agreement or quiet laughter as Toph's response. 

And before either of them knew what was going on, Sokka had grabbed her by the wrist and kissed her. 

And then, Toph was gone. And Sokka was in the ground, with only the thought of her adorable blushing face as she ran away to keep him company. 

Sokka wasn't entirely sure why he hadn't noticed it before, but now that he realized it, it consumed every other thought in his head. His realization: Toph wasn't _just_ a tomboyish twelve-year-old anymore. She was a tomboyish twelve-year-old that he was hopelessly in love with. And now, because of his stupid overreaction to this realization, she would probably _never_ feel the same about him. 

Still, it had been a little harsh to bend him into the ground over an ill-received kiss. Verbal rejection would have been one thing. Physical punishment was quite another. 

He hadn't had time to consider how she would react. He hadn't had time to think about anything, really. It was just as if suddenly, her lips were extremely necessary.

And the brief second it had lasted had been worth two hours of imprisonment in the ground.

* * *

Lawl. Poor Sokka. Well, I decided it was time to give Toph a break. The whole "unrequited love" thing is fine, but it seems like it's always Toph who receives humiliating rejection. But yeah. It's short. I am aware.I seem to have a problem with length. I'll try to make the next one longer. But anyway,tell me what you think. Reviews are loved to death. DEATH, I SAY. 

Oh, and this chapter was named after the Say Anything song of the same name. The song really has nothing to do with the fic, but the name does. 


	2. The Promise

Ok, It didn't ORIGINALLY start out with a fluffy flashback, but I quickly decided it was way too confusing if I didn't throw it in. So enjoy, fluffback and all. (lol, fluffback. Oh, how witty of me)

* * *

**The Promise**

_"Listen, Toph," Sokka said, the serious tone of his voice discocerting. "With the way we live, we have no way of kowing where we're gonna end up. We don't even know where we'll be this time tommorow! That kind of scares me." Toph didn't know what to say in response to this serious version of Sokka. She decided a sarcastic comment may not be the best idea for once. "It was your birthday yesterday, right? So you know the date?" She nodded, though she had no clue what he was getting at. "Then promise me this. Five years from now exactly, the day after you turn eighteen, you have to meet me back here. I want to know that no matter what happens or where we are, you will meet me back here in five years. I will do whatever is humanly possible to get here as long as you can promise me the same." Toph nodded, solemnly binding herself to the promise._

Toph gently gnawed on her bottom lip. She felt rather silly, standing alone by the hidden pool. It was surrounded completely by rock, making her comfortable despite the fact that she was ankle-deep in water. Sokka had probably forgotten all about their promise. Knowing Sokka, she thought, the thought had probably left his mind the minute after he had agreed to it. But he had seemed so serious, so un-Sokka like. She had believed almost whole-heartedly that he would be there waiting for her. But he wasn't. 

He would never know the trouble she went through to get there. Just to keep that simple promise they had made to each other, what was it, five years ago? They hadn't seen each other in four, and it had probably been at least three since the last time he thought about her. But she had thought about him every day. She scolded herself for expecting the same out of him. 

She replayed the solemn conversation over in her head. It had taken place in this exact pool, this exact time, five years ago. Toph remembered feeling a slight chill as the setting sun ceased to give off heat. Or maybe it had something to do with the fact that Sokka had been holding her hands tightly in his. 

And of course, as Sokka had suspected, Toph had been taken home. Over the years, that small hope that maybe she would see him again was the only thing that kept her alive. A tear rolled down her cheek and she held back a sob. 

That was when she noticed the hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped up and her elbow flew back, impulsively. A soft grunt, followed by a splash. She then realized that she was standing in mud, and could not for the life of her feel any vibrations. Not willing to turn her back and run to solid ground, she screamed, "Who are you? What are you doing here?" 

"Damn, Toph, you haven't changed a bit." It was Sokka. The years had made his voice deeper, but it was somehow exactly the same. Toph's heart stopped beating for a second. 

"SOKKA!" She screamed ecstatically, throwing herself to the mud beside him and flinging her arms around his chest. "I thought you forgot."

Sokka smiled sadly, cautiously wrapping an arm around his friend's shoulder. He was happy to see her, but he didn't exactly want to risk getting elbowed in the stomach again. "I tried to forget," he said. "I really did. Katara told me to forget, she said it was better if I did. Less painful, clean break and all that. But I couldn't. Every time I tried to, I would just remember that day five years ago. And I realized I had to-? Toph? Are you _crying_?" He looked down at her with concern, for it was true. She was, in fact, sobbing uncontrollably against his chest. 

"Shut up." She punched him in the arm, pulling away from him. He reached a hand out to wipe the tears from her face, belatedly realizing that his hands were covered in mud. It smeared across her face, and she blinked in surprise."That's it," She growled playfully, picking up a handful of muck and smearing it on Sokka's face. 

After several more minutes of slinging mud, cursing, and laughter, Sokka and Toph were both completely covered in slick brown earth, laughing hysterically. Eventually their laughter quieted, and Sokka sighed. 

"I miss this. I don't know if I can go back now."

Toph grunted in response, slightly upset that the moment was gone. Now her mind was set on departures and goodbyes, and the tears threatened again. She trudged out of the mud, Sokka following behind her. She bent away the muck that covered them both and then sat down in the grass by the pool. Sokka sat down next to her. 

"At least you have something to go back to. You can't even begin to imagine how pissed my parents will be when I get back."

"Then don't go back." He whispered, grabbing her hand bravely. It was then that Toph realized how much he had grown. His hands were nearly twice the size of her own. "I mean, you could always come live in our village. I'm sure Katara wouldn't mind."

"If I do that, it'll just be the same thing all over again. Everything will be fine for a while. But eventually, my parents will come and get me." She laid her head against her friend's shoulder. 

"Toph, you are pretty much a grown woman. How much longer do your parents get to control your life?" She fidgeted uncomfortably, knowing that he was right; at eighteen she was free to make her own decisions. _Free. _Now there was a concept she hadn't toyed with in a while. She liked the way it sounded. She had never really thought of what she would do once she was no longer under control of her parents. She definately would have never thought that her freedom would lead her to a small water village in the south pole. But now that she thought about it, she realized that there was nothing she wanted more.

She grinned, and when she spoke, it was a whispered,

"Okay. I'll go."

* * *

Erm, cha. This has probably been done already. But I wasn't exactly going for originality. I was just bored. 

Review! 


	3. Piggyback

Heavy sarcasm ftw! I've actually had this written for quite a while now, I've just been either too lazy to type it up and post it, or too busy enjoying spring break and such.

Anyway, it takes place right after The Western Air Temple, when Zuko accidentally burns poor Toph's feet. 'Nuff said.

* * *

**Piggyback**

Sokka sat at the edge of the platform, his feet dangling off the edge. It was probably hundreds of feet to the bottom of the canyon. He was fascinated with the Western Air Temple, and wondered how magnificent it must have looked when it was new and inhabited by monks.

Toph, on the other hand, was understandably less interested with the architecture. She sat against the magnificent fountain that stood in the center of the platform, which was miraculously still functioning after all those years. Toph's bandaged feet stuck out in front of her, looking awkward and big compared to the small girl. She absentmindedly bent a pebble in Sokka's direction. It hit him square in the back of the head.

"Will you stop doing that?" He complained, whirling around to glare at the young earthbender. He was too irritated to realize that she wouldn't be affected much by his glare. She shrugged.

"Come up with something better to do, then. I'm bored."

"Hey, so am I. It isn't my fault that I got stuck here babysitting you while the others have more important things to do."

"It isn't my fault either. If you wanna blame someone, blame Zuko. If not for him, I wouldn't need babysitting." She motioned to a bandaged foot.

"Yeah, whatever. Shouldn't you be off earthbending or something? I want to explore the rest of the temple."

"Have you ever had burns on the bottoms of your feet? It's hard enough to walk, let alone earthbend! That's why you have to stay with me. I'm defenseless." She punctuated the last sentence with another pebble against Sokka's forehead. He growled, rubbing his forehead in irritation.

"If you weren't injured already, I would _so_ hurt you."

"HA!" she scoffed. "If I weren't injured, you wouldn't be able to _touch_ me."

Sokka opened his mouth in protest but shut it when he realized she was right. Toph was way stronger than him, and arguing with her would only embarrass him further. So instead he turned around again and gazed out over the vast canyon. He was itching to see the rest of the temple. But he guessed that Toph's safety was more important than his curiosity.

Then, Sokka had an idea. It wasn't necessarily a good idea, as Sokka's ideas rarely were. But, more or less, it solved his current dilemma, which was all he could seem to think about at the moment. He grinned, walking over to Toph.

"Up," He commanded. She raised one eyebrow curiously.

"Why?"

"We're going to see the temple."

"Ok, for the second time, I can't walk. Or see, for that matter!"

"I know that," He said, pulling Toph up to her feet effortlessly.

"Snoozles! What the hell are you doing?" She shrieked, struggling as she was lifted onto Sokka's back. "Put me down!" He latched his hands under her knees, holding her in place.

"Oh, come on. It's just a piggyback ride."

"WHAT? You are NOT toting me around on your back while you enjoy the scenery."

"Okay, fine. Just let me see if this works." He took a cautious step forward. Toph gave up trying to escape Sokka and propped an elbow on his shoulder, cupping her chin in her hand. She sighed.

"See if what works? Pissing me off? Believe me, it's working."

"Stop talking. Try to see." He took another step.

"What are you-?" She stopped mid-sentence, seeming to realize something. "Hold on. Do it again." Another step forward. Toph grinned. "YES!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up and almost falling from Sokka's back. "Yes! I can feel the vibrations! I can see through your feet!"

"Now _that_ is something I never thought I would hear."

And it was as they were running from the fountain, both laughing hysterically as Toph clung to Sokka's shoulders for dear life, that Sokka wondered why such an awkward occurrence felt so natural with Toph.

And Toph, despite everything, made a mental note to thank Zuko for burning her feet in the first place.

* * *

Hooray. Not sure what else to say here. Other than that I would love it if you would review. kbai.


	4. Metamorphosis

Please excuse the fluff in this. Just... please. I had to. I apologize.

In writing this, I was making an attempt to explore a different side of Toph that we haven't really seen much. It ended up, in my opinion, seeming very OOC. I apologize for that as well. In conclusion, I'm not very happy with it, but I felt the need to post it somehow. Let me know what you think!

-Jooh

* * *

Metamorphosis

As Sokka's lips pressed gently against hers for the first time, something changed in her. Sokka couldn't place exactly what it was, but he definitely felt it. She seemed softer somehow, as if her hard edge had been melted away by his kiss. Startled, he pulled back and looked at her with concern. The face he was staring into certainly did not belong to the Toph he knew. Something about her sightless eyes now seemed confused and vulnerable, which were two things Toph Bei Fong most certainly was _not. _

In that moment, Sokka was ready for rejection, ready for her to punch him, to cry or run away. But Toph did none of those things. She just stood there; looking so un-Toph like that it frightened him.

"Toph?" He whispered. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"Shouldn't have what?" She interrupted, and Sokka was relieved to find that her voice had the same cutting sarcasm as always. "I was perfectly fine until you stopped kissing me." This took Sokka by surprise.

"Well then, I apologize," He chuckled. "Is there any way I could possibly make it up to you?" Toph bit her lip in mock thoughtfulness.

"Well, there is one way…" She smiled, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss him again. This time, Sokka decided, it was definitely Toph. The kiss had the same hard edge as she did. Sokka smiled against her lips.

Still, she felt different somehow, as if the kiss had matured her considerably.

Or maybe it was just her lips. Maybe her lips, for some reason, had matured faster than the girl they belonged to. Sokka certainly didn't _feel_ like he was kissing someone three years younger than him.

But whatever the reason for the change, Sokka wanted it to last forever. Maybe Toph was even thinking the same thing. Maybe that was why she deepened this kiss.

Sokka sighed softly.

Maybe Toph hadn't changed at all. Maybe this was just a new, unexplored side of Toph that even she knew little about.

If that was the case, Sokka was more than ready to help her find out more.


	5. Suspicion

Alrighty then. After seeing The Boiling Rock Parts one and two, I got to thinking about how Toph and Suki are going to react toward one another, if at all. Toph and Sokka have grown a lot closer since the last time they encountered Suki, and one of them is bound to get jealous now that she's back. Either that, or the conflicting emotions will be ignored completely, which is a bit more likely seeing as there are only about six more episodes left in the show. But anyway, this is fanfiction.

Enjoy.

* * *

**Suspicion**

Suki bit her lip. She wanted to say something. She really did. She wanted to point it out to someone; no one else seemed to notice. Maybe she was just being overprotective, paranoid. That had to be it. Being separated from him for so long certainly had resulted in attachment issues, that's all

_But the way he laughed with her!_

And the way _she_ always seemed to make him happy, despite everything. Suki couldn't help feeling… no, not jealousy. Suki couldn't possibly be jealous… could she? Not of a mere twelve year old. _They're just friends, _she reassured herself.

But still… _he has never laughed that way with me_.

Loved her, yes. Suki had no doubt that Sokka loved her. But she wanted more. She wanted to be able to laugh with him like he did with… that _girl_. Like he did with Toph.

_He loves her,_ Suki realized, letting out an audible gasp. _He may not know it yet, but he does. _From across the campfire, Sokka turned his gaze to Suki.

"What is it?" Sokka asked, having heard her gasp. Suki's eyes briefly flickered to Toph. No one seemed to notice.

"Nothing… Katara, can I talk to you for a second?" She had to know. She had to talk to someone about it, and either confirm or deny her suspicion.

"Sure," Katara agreed, looking somewhat concerned. Sokka frowned as the two girls walked out of hearing range.

"What is it, Suki?" Katara asked, once they were a safe distance away.

"Uh… It's about Sokka."

"Spirits, what did he do to you?"

"Oh, nothing! It's not that, it's about him and someone else."

"You think he's cheating on you?" Katara raised an eyebrow.

"Not exactly. It's about him and Toph."

"Sokka and… Toph?"

Suki nodded guiltily. "Heavens, Suki! They're just friends! How could you even think something like that?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it!"

"Noticed what?" Katara asked.

"_Them!_" She cried, throwing up her arms. Did no one else find it strange? Obviously they were more than friends, how could no one see?

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"Just LOOK at them." Suki sighed, giving up on her attempt at explaining it. She thrust a finger in their direction.

Back by the campfire, Sokka was laughing hysterically at one of his own jokes which Toph had apparently been the butt of. She punched him hard in the arm, a hint of a smile on her face.

"I think I get it. And you're just being paranoid," Katara finally said after watching their antics for a while. "They're just friends, believe me."

"Okay. I guess so," Suki said, unconvinced but done arguing.

"Alright, good. Come on, lets go."

When they joined the others once more, Suki couldn't help sitting in between Sokka and Toph, separating them. She also couldn't help noticing how both of them frowned slightly when she did this. And though she tried, she definitely couldn't help the tear that rolled down her face.

_Even if we're always together,_ she thought, wiping away the tear that no one seemed to see. _I'll always know that he loves her, too. He always will love her. And there's nothing I can do to change that._


	6. Vacation

Woohoo for the ever approaching Summer! I'll probably get sick of it after the first couple of weeks (as always) but I can't help but be excited. I mean seriously, High School next year! Wewt! Sort of... I guess? I don't really know whether to be excited or to dread it. But I'm feeling rather optimistic right now, so wewt, I say.

Anyway, I had fun writing this. I hope you have fun reading it!

* * *

**Vacation**

Sokka lazily picked up a handful of sand and let it sift through his fingers. The fine grains burned as they slipped through onto the beach. His hair was down, almost reaching his shoulders now. It matted to his sweaty face in some places.

"It's so HOT!" Sokka complained to no one in particular. To his immense irritation, no one heard him. Aang and Katara were flirtatiously bending seawater at each other, knee deep in the ocean. Sokka noticed with slight distaste that Katara's face was gradually turning a deep shade of red that could have nothing to do with sunburn, contrary to what she would later testify. After all, they had only set foot on the beach about twenty minutes ago.

_Twenty minutes,_ Sokka complained inwardly._ It's only been twenty minutes and I'm already suffering._ _The war is finally over, and the avatar has nothing better to do than drag us all to the beach and flirt with my sister? _He crossed his arms, looking a bit like a forlorn child. _Why did I even agree to this in the first place?_

And then, Toph appeared in front of him, sporting a rather skimpy and very un-Toph-like bikini. She frowned deeply and crossed her arms in front of her chest as if to preserve as much modesty as possible.

_Ah,_ Sokka suddenly recalled, holding back a laugh. _That's why._

Toph sighed, plopping down next to him on the ground. Sokka shielded himself with a beach towel as sand flew everywhere.

"I hope you're happy. I feel naked."

"Actually, I'm not happy at all. I hate sand." Sokka changed the subject, embarrassed.

"YOU hate sand?" Toph asked, incredulous. "Do you know how hard it is to SEE in sand? Each little grain gives off a different vibration. It's impossible."

"Yeah," Sokka grunted unenthusiastically. Out by the water, Aang had turned around and was staring at Toph with wide eyes.

"Toph?" He yelled. "Did you lose a bet or something?"

"Actually, Twinkle toes, I did. It was kind of risky, but if I had won, SOKKA would be the one in the bikini. I couldn't have passed up a chance like that." Aang shook his head, laughing. He muttered something under his breath to which Katara nodded in agreement. "What do you think that was about?" Toph mumbled to Sokka.

"I dunno. He probably said something like, 'Aww, I wish Toph would have won the bet. Sokka would look hot in a bikini.' What I really want to know is why my sister casually agreed."

Toph laughed at their ongoing "Aang is gay" joke. It had started a while ago when they had learned that Aang had "danced" with Zuko at the sun warrior's temple. The joke just sort of grew from there. It was just one of the many inside jokes that the two best friends shared.

At this point, Sokka was actually starting to think he might enjoy his vacation. But of course, with Sokka's luck, something had to go wrong. In this case, that "something" just so happened to be the annoying looking fat kid now standing in front of Toph.

"Hey," He said. "Aren't you that earthbender girl who travels with the Avatar?"

"The one and only!" She said proudly. "Well, I guess Haru might be as well, but we still aren't sure." Sokka chuckled. The fat kid frowned.

"Haru… that's a guy's name."

"Yeah, well…" She trailed off. "Anyway, enough about my gender confused friends. What do you want?" Sokka didn't point out the fact that Toph was in no position to call anyone gender confused.

"Well, I was wondering, if maybe, you wanted to, you know, go…?" He stuttered.

"I think I know what you're getting at, and," Toph began, biting her lip in discomfort. Clearly he was really nervous, and she really didn't want to hurt the kid's feelings, but…

"She's not interested." Sokka interjected. "I mean, she already has a boyfriend," Sokka said pleasantly, draping a bare arm around Toph's equally bare shoulders. She decided to go along with it, and smiled at the kid awkwardly.

The fat kid pouted in defeat and stomped away, mumbling something that sounded like "He's too old for you."

The second he turned his back, Toph elbowed Sokka in the ribs hard. His arm dropped from her shoulders.

"My boyfriend?"

"Hey, did you want to go out with the kid?"

"Maybe I did." She protested, though at this point it was just for the sake of argument.

"HA. Did you SEE that kid?"

"…"

"Oh. Guess you didn't. Then, take my word for it."

"Oh yeah? Since when do you have trustworthy taste in guys?" Sokka opened his mouth to object, but could think of nothing to say. "Oh, come on," She teased. "You walked RIGHT into that one."

Sokka lay back on the beach towel, accepting defeat. With a triumphant smile, Toph flopped back next to him. After a few moments of appreciated silence, Toph decided she would not let the subject go.

"So what made you feel the need to protect me from chunky?" She asked.

"I don't know. I guess I just think you deserve better than to unknowingly end up with some fat kid." A blush crept up Sokka's neck as he said this.

"Well, it isn't exactly like I can see him. I'd be perfectly happy to end up with someone most people would find ugly. I can't tell the difference," She explained. "Take this beach, for instance. Everyone always raves about how pretty beaches are. But to me, it's no different from the desert. They're both just hot and sandy."

"I see." Sokka frowned. Was HE just hot and sandy? Somehow, he really wanted to know. "But still, if our positions were reversed, would you not try and keep me from dating unattractive girls?"

"Actually, I would find it endlessly amusing."

"Gee, thanks." There was a pause.

"You were jealous, weren't you?" she asked. It didn't sound much like a question. For a minute, he was going to deny it. Just like everything else having to do with his affection for Toph, he was going to deny it and change the subject. But for some reason, he couldn't. It wasn't that he couldn't hold it in; he was good at that. But there was something about the beach that made it seem silly to pretend. For whatever reason, in that moment, he considered it juvenile to deny his affections.

"Maybe a little," he admitted. Surprisingly, Toph smiled.

"Well, it's about time. I'm tired of being the jealous one all the time." She grabbed Sokka's hand, taking him by surprise. He looked at her skeptically. Was it a joke? No. She looked too relaxed for that. Just lying there, eyes closed, taking in the sun's rays next to him.

"What do-?"

"Shut up." She whispered, lacing her fingers through his. "You'll ruin the moment."

And so, for once, Sokka actually shut his mouth.


	7. Proposal

Uhmmmm, not sure what to say about this. It isn't my best. I was bored. It does have some witty sarcasm though.

Also: it's my first time writing fanfiction in first person, and from Toph's POV. I prolly killed her character. Let me know if it's horribly OOC.

Toph 18, and therefore, Sokka 21. Yay. (You can tell I'm not very enthused right now)

* * *

**Proposal**

"So, Toph," Katara said conversationally as we left the spa. My face was caked in makeup, and I resisted the urge to wipe it off with my hands. You would think that after so many "girls' day outs" with Katara, I would be used to it by now. The day as a whole was fun, no doubt. But just the feel of the makeup alone was enough to make it a bad experience for me. "When are you and Sokka going to get married?"

The question itself didn't surprise me much; she had been hinting at it for weeks now. What did surprise me was her tone of voice. She was almost joking or sarcastic. But there was something off about it, like she was trying to conceal the fact that she really meant it. Thankfully, Katara had never been particularly good at hiding emotions.

"What makes you think we're getting married?" I didn't even bother hiding my irritation.

"Well, you're obviously never going to break up. Most couples have been married for years by the time they get as close as you and Sokka are. You two have been inseparable for the past four years. It makes me wonder if there's something you aren't telling me."

"Really? Like what?" That was Katara, somehow managing to be both paranoid, and in everyone's business at the same time. Yet miraculously she was one of my best friends.

"Like… if he's asked you yet. And you said no?"

"That's sort of something you would know about, Katara."

"I guess so. Why not then?"

"Why not what?"

"Spirits, Toph! Do I have to spell it out for you? Why. Aren't. You. Married. To. My. Brother?!"

I felt my face heat up under the mountains of makeup. I felt like spitting back some retort about how I 'didn't want to end up with three kids at the age of 20, like her.' But then I realized that would probably just upset her.

"I guess it's just kind of cliché," I said with a half-defeated sigh. "I mean, what's the point?"

"Toph, there's a difference between cliché and tradition. Marriage is tradition."

"Well, Sokka and I aren't exactly a traditional couple, are we?"

I heard her chuckle softly.

"Not exactly, no." It was quiet then as we walked on. The air between us was charged, and I had a feeling Katara wasn't done with her interrogation. I waited for it. And it came. "Still," She persisted. "If he proposed to you, you wouldn't turn him down, would you?"

"No," I admitted. "Although nothing would really change between us if we did get married. Just legal stuff. Other than that, we'd probably do pretty much what we do now." My voice held the slightest hint of doubt. In truth, I was completely unconvinced.

"You mean go out drinking every weekend and spend the rest of your time acting like children?" Her tone was skeptical.

"Yup."

"I think you'd have to act a bit more mature if you got married."

I felt my heart sink when she said this. Because I knew she was right, and it was killing me.

"Well then, there's your answer. Happy?" I turned away from her.

"My answer to what?"

"It's the reason I'm not 'Married. To. Your. Brother!' I can't be mature. Sokka can, but I can't. It would be a train wreck. It's better for us to just be boyfriend and girlfriend, so that he won't have to be responsible for my immaturity."

I felt Katara grow smug beside me.

"But you are mature," she said. "The fact that you took this into consideration and actually care shows that you are much more mature than you give yourself credit for."

"Well, whatever. It's not like he's proposed to me anyway. Isn't that kind of his responsibility? Why are you blaming me?"

"Toph," she was trying, I could tell, to phrase her next words carefully. "In case you haven't noticed… you're sort of the guy in your relationship."

"Thanks." I muttered sarcastically. "But if I'm the guy, what does that make Sokka?" I motioned to my face, heavily coated in makeup.

"What I'm saying is, do you really expect Sokka to have to guts to do something like that?"

"Are you telling _me_ to propose to _him?_"

"Only because when I mentioned it to him, he ran out of the room and puked due to nervousness."

"He… puked? I can see he feels very passionately toward the idea." I thought briefly that maybe I could lay off the sarcasm, just a bit.

_No,_ I corrected myself. _That's what she gets for trying to play matchmaker._

"Toph, you don't understand. He's been carrying a _necklace _with him everywhere he's gone for the past three years. He just doesn't have the balls to propose to you."

A _necklace?_ My heart fluttered. _That stupid… he just needs to get over himself and… _

As the magnitude of this settled in, I found myself scrambling for words to describe how stupid he was for not asking me sooner. But what I found myself muttering defensively was,

"He has balls."

* * *

xD That last line was based on an actual conversation I had with my friend recently. I insulted her ex-boyfriend in a similar fashion, and she just had to tell me I was wrong (rather defensively, too.) I found out more about their relationship in that statement than I ever needed to know.

And. Katara has three kids. I don't really have a preferred Katara pairing, so I'll leave the father up to your imagination. (Hell, it could even be Azula.) Katara just seems like the type of person who would have like a billion kids. She has enough fun acting motherly toward people her own age. Imagine the joys she would find in actual BABIES.

**EDIT: **Many thanks to Tokka4Ever for pointing out my mistake about the engagement necklace. I was having a blonde moment. It has been corrected.

Anyway, please review!


	8. Time to Dance

Summer means boredom. Boredom means too much time on my hands. Too much time on my hands means meaningless tokka drabbles named after songs. Enjoy the first of many.

* * *

**Time to Dance**

Toph flopped down at one of the tables along the walls of the ballroom. It was highly decorated –almost in a way that made it look cheesy. But Toph couldn't see that. She couldn't see anything, not in these shoes.

Her temporary seeing-eye-warrior hesitantly sat down next to her, gently apologizing to a man Toph had –accidentally or not- pushed down on her way over here.

"Please let me take off the shoes, Sokka," She complained. "This dress is so long, Katara will never know!"

Sokka eyed the dress swiftly. She was right, of course. The hem of the dress enveloped her feet entirely when she stood up. Now, as she sat, it hung just at her ankles, revealing the pointy shoes. Even Sokka had to admit they looked like death traps. Her feet were not much smaller than his, and he winced as he imagined stuffing his feet into them.

"I don't know, Toph. Katara wanted you to wear them…"

"Katara doesn't have to see with her feet."

"It's kind of a fancy event. Not something you usually go barefoot to."

"It's either barefoot, or me falling into people for the rest of the night. Come on, Sokka! This can be fun."

Sokka was almost convinced. A devilish thought was forming in his mind slowly.

"Okay, fine," He said, "Take your shoes off." Toph complied more than willingly, almost throwing the shoes at Sokka as if they were repulsive living creatures. "I'll dispose of these… if you promise to do one thing."

"Okay…" Toph agreed warily, wondering where this was getting her.

Suddenly, Sokka chucked the shoes into the crowd of dancing couples, hitting Katara square on the head. She whirled around, trying to find her assailant and flushing angrily when she recognized the shoes as Toph's.

"DANCE!" Sokka yelled, pulling Toph into the crowd.

As they danced, they laughed. They laughed until tears were streaming down both their faces.

They both knew that they were in a world of hurt once the party was over and they were forced to face Katara, but that hardly bothered them.

For now, they were just happily doing what Toph and Sokka did best; hiding from the people they had pissed off.

* * *

plzreviewkthnxbai.

Named after the song by Panic at the Disco.


	9. For A Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic

Meaningless drabble named after a song number two.

I think my creativity left with the school year.

* * *

**For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic**

People always call me a pessimist. And I guess that's mostly true, if you compare me to my sister. Some call her optimistic. I call her naïve.

Most call me a pessimist, yes. But for the past few years of my life, I've done nothing but hope. I hoped that my dad was still alive. That Suki was still alive. That we could save them. And it went rather well, actually.

After we saved them, I hoped that Suki would still love me. That also went rather well, for a while.

When she left me, I hoped that I could love again. And once again, the spirits satisfied my desires.

And so it seems I have nothing left to hope for. Toph is my hope. She is everything I ever wanted, condensed into human form. And now, I neither see the glass as half empty, or half full. I just shut the hell up and drink it before a higher power decides to take it away from me.

So I guess, for a pessimist, I'm pretty optimistic.

* * *

Named after the song by Paramore


	10. Lost

I think my creativity may have finally returned to me. Or at least, I didn't have to look to song names for inspiration this time. xD

I'd like to write something a bit longer, but I seem to have trouble with plots. Sure, drabbles and oneshots come almost naturally, but if I try to write anything with an actual plot, my mind goes completely blank. D:

Anyway, I like this sort of, despite the fluff.

Tell me what you think!

* * *

**Lost**

Toph was crying. Sobbing, actually. She was curled into a ball and leaning against a tree, spilling tears all over the forest floor.

Sokka was watching. Not that he'd been stalking her. He'd just heard her crying, recognized it as an unusual occurrence, and decided he'd find out what was wrong.

Most people, that is, people with any sense, would hesitate before confronting Toph while she was in such an unpredictable state. Sokka was not one of those people.

He stepped out from his hiding place, clearing his throat when Toph did not seem to realize his presence. She stopped crying with a sniff and lifted her head, frowning. After a few steadying breaths, she managed to croak out a strangled, "Piss off, Sokka," before beginning to sob all over again. Oblivious to her annoyance, (or just ignoring it) Sokka cocked his head to the side.

"What's wrong, Toph?" He asked, sounding both concerned and disturbed at the same time. Such a display of weakness was definitely not like the blind earthbender.

"I said go away," She responded. This time most of the venomous edge to her voice was gone, but it was still enough to sting. Once again, Sokka ignored her command and sat down relatively near her, still keeping enough distance so that he could move out of the way if she decided to hurt him.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me what's wrong. You and I can have heart-to-heart conversations from time to time, right?" The warrior's voice was so childishly hopeful that despite her tears, Toph almost smiled.

She gave a quivering sigh.

"It's nothing." She straightened and rested her head against the tree's trunk, closing her cloudy green eyes. "I just… lost something important to me. You can go now."

"I could help you find it," Sokka offered. "What does it look like?"

He noticed a blush creep across his friend's face, and he wondered about the nature of the lost item.

"Toph," He whispered in a tone of false innocence. "Is it your… virginity?"

Toph's eyes snapped open and her brows furrowed angrily. As a reflex, her arm flew out to punch him before she realized he was just out of range.

"What the hell, Sokka?" She was yelling, she realized.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. No need to get all defensive," he muttered. With that ruled out, he only had one idea as to what it could be. Slowly, he pulled something out of his pocket and placed it the hand Toph had attempted to punch him with.

"Then, is it this?" He asked. "I found it by the campfire this morning." It was the meteorite bracelet he had more or less given her so many months ago.

"No," Toph snapped almost immediately. "That's not it." She shoved the bracelet into her pocket before turning away from him hastily.

"Alright then," Sokka grunted, getting up with a smug smile. "Hope you find what you're looking for."

He then walked away, but not before seeing the blind earthbender slipping the earth circlet onto her arm, a relieved smile on her tear-drenched face.


	11. Misinterpretation

Uhm, yeah.

The finale left a whole bunch of open ends Tokka-wise. I definitely see them hooking up in the future, after they've both had their fair share of failed relationships.

But when does their friendship start to become a bit more? The way I see it, it starts with something like this.

* * *

**Misinterpretation**

"Y'know, Toph, you're gonna run outta money one day if you keep buyin' me all these drinks," Sokka slurred as the bartender presented him with his fifth drink of the night.

"Dun worry. I dun think thas gonna happen any time soon," Toph replied. She was on her sixth. "Besides. I figured you prolly need some cheerin' up right about now. Y'know, with whatsherface dumpin' you an all." She gave her friend an affectionate pat on the back that left a bruise for weeks.

Sokka slumped forward onto the bar from both emotional and physical pain.

"I can't believe she left me for that macho jerk," He mumbled hopelessly. "I guess I'm jus not attractive enough for her."

"Well," Toph said, doing her best to sound comforting. "I think you're beautiful."

She was too drunk to realize that the kind of beauty she was talking about and the kind of beauty Sokka desired were of a different species entirely.

Fortunately, so was Sokka.


	12. Lullaby

**Lullaby**

Sokka frowned at the girl in his bed. She was so sick, just looking at her made him hurt. Yet there was nothing he could do. He felt so helpless. Hesitantly, he crawled into bed next to her. She was shivering, sending silent shudders through the mattress.

"Toph?" He whispered. She didn't respond, only shivered harder, teeth chattering. With a sigh, Sokka lay his head down next to her and wrapped an arm gently around her waist.

He tried to remember what his mother would do when he or Katara would get sick as children. A sweet lullaby sang through his memory. He smiled, remembering all too well the times it had been sung gently in his ear.

His singing voice wasn't exactly phenomenal, but he had to give it a try. He started singing.

"Sokka," came her weak voice. He stopped the lullaby with a gentle intake of breath. Had it really worked? Had his singing really made her feel any better?

"Yes, Toph?"

"I know it's the thought that counts and all, but I'm trying to sleep and you sound like a dying lemur."

And that was the last time Sokka ever sang to Toph.

(While sober, at least)


	13. Insurance

I don't even remember the last time I updated this. What can I say, I have an annoyingly short attention span.

Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

**Insurance**

"Toph?" Sokka said warily. They had been sitting together in silence for quite some time. It hadn't been the type of silence that occurs when two people run out of things to say. Rather, it had been the type of comfortable silence where two people are so familiar with each other that nothing _needs_ to be said. Such a peaceful moment rarely arose between the two friends, and Sokka was almost reluctant to break it. But something had been bothering him and he needed to voice it.

"Mmm?" She hummed in response.

"Are you ever afraid of dying alone?"

She obviously had not been expecting such a somber question. She sat up a little straighter from her relaxed position in the grass.

"C'mon Sokka," She said, trying hard not to sound like she was mocking him. "I thought you were over Suki."

"It isn't just Suki. It's the feeling that I'll be in relationship after relationship and never really settle down. And then before you know it I'll be old and boring and completely alone."

Toph didn't say anything immediately, and Sokka was sure she was just concocting a snappy response in her head. He knew her well enough to expect it by now. He was not, however, prepared for what she said.

"I… know exactly what you mean. I'm not really the type of girl guys usually go for, you know? I sometimes feel like if I'll have to change who I am in order for people to accept me. I don't like it."

For a while, the silence returned. It was a completely different kind of silence this time- the kind where there's more to be said but no one wants to say it.

A crazy thought popped into Sokka's head, and at first he dismissed it as silly. But the moment was so clear and they hadn't been this open with each other in forever and who knew when another chance like this would come up? He took a deep breath.

"What if we cheat fate?" Toph raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, this oughtta be good."

"I mean, if we're both so scared of dying alone, why don't we make absolutely sure that doesn't happen?"

"I'm listening."

"How about twenty years from now, if we're both still pathetically single, we get married?"

"Like, to each other?"

Sokka nodded self-consciously.

"That's… not a bad idea. Except I'm warning you now, Sokka, I'm going to wear the pants."

Their laughter broke through the quiet tension of the conversation. Usually he would object in defense of his manliness, but he was too relieved to say anything.

Sokka had learned long ago that money couldn't buy love. But now he knew all it took was a little guts, and you could buy insurance.

* * *

I wouldn't be surprised if something like this has been done before, but I got the idea from an agreement two of my best friends actually have in place. Which is sort of weird, because they always compared their sibling-like friendship to that of Sokka and Katara.

Oh well. One character off is close enough.

Tell me what you think!


	14. Sometimes

Wow, It's been such a long time since I've updated this. Just a short, cliche drabble because I'm lazy and uninspired.

Enjoy!

**

* * *

****Sometimes**

Sometimes, Toph asks Sokka what things look like. This is partially due to a dull curiosity in the back of her mind. But only a small part of her really wants to know. She mostly asks just to hear him talk. Sokka's voice, the way he phrases things, the periodic stutter or crack in his adolescent speech. All these things comfort Toph when nothing else seems to.

By now she knows that Katara's eyes are blue, like Aang's tattoos. She knows that Zuko's scar is ugly and that Suki is beautiful.

But Toph doesn't ask about herself. She doesn't ask Sokka what she looks like—not because she doesn't care, but because she's afraid she's beginning to care too much. She's afraid of what Sokka will say- or won't say. And she feels very stupid for it.


End file.
